{"id":515313,"date":"2026-08-21T17:53:34","date_gmt":"2026-08-21T07:53:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.railfreight.com\/?p=73526"},"modified":"2026-08-21T17:53:34","modified_gmt":"2026-08-21T07:53:34","slug":"cable-theft-on-the-rise-in-uk-and-elsewhere","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/?p=515313","title":{"rendered":"Cable theft on the rise in UK and elsewhere"},"content":{"rendered":"

The theft of metal is a big problem for the railway. Unfortunately, it is a growing concern. According to sources in the UK, thieves are targeting\u00a0signalling\u00a0cables,\u00a0overhead power lines\u00a0and even metal\u00a0fences\u00a0to sell for scrap. While there are justified concerns over concerted criminality, the actions of individuals are proving just as disruptive.<\/strong>
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

The design of Britain\u2019s rail network ensures that it fails safely. When a cable is cut, trains come to a standstill. This approach protects users of the network, but it can cause lengthy, costly and frustrating delays while the problem is located and safely fixed. Since a large proportion of railway funding is underwritten by the UK Government, these thefts are, ultimately, costing taxpayers money.<\/p>\n

Caught in the act<\/h2>\n

Wakefield, apart from being a critical north-south and east-west crossover on the British network, is also a hub for freight operations in the North of England. The city is host to two major passenger stations and a busy open access intermodal freight hub<\/a>, managed by Maritime Transport and serving clients across the region. Earlier this year, a man was jailed for twenty months after stealing railway cable in Wakefield. His criminal activity cost the rail industry \u00a357,000 (around \u20ac67,000).<\/p>\n

Andrew Holland, who might be accurately described as a West Yorkshire crime underlord, was apprehended by British Transport Police, the specialist constabulary for the railway network<\/a>, after reports that Holland was attending a large lineside fire, brazenly burning off plastic sheathing from copper wires he had stripped from signalling and communications lines. The extensive disruption of a lineside fire is bad enough – just ask network users in Bradford<\/a> – but to add to that with communication and signalling equipment being destroyed, and the costs soon mount up.<\/p>\n

Inflaming the situation<\/h2>\n

Holland was arrested at the scene. A search found he was carrying a box cutter, which he admitted using to strip cable, and a blow torch was found nearby. During a police interview, he admitted stealing the cable. The additional implications of setting a lineside fire are obvious. Given the current tinderbox-dry conditions across much of Great Britain, the additional burden of policing wilful fire-raising is obvious.<\/p>\n

\"Thieves
Thieves often burn cable sheathing to extract copper cores – with inevitable results. Image: \u00a9 Network Rail<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cCable theft is not a victimless crime,\u201d warned BTP investigating officer Matthew Biggs. \u201cThe incident at Wakefield led to major disruption and significant financial cost. This sentencing reflects how serious the consequences are. We continue to work closely with Network Rail. We\u2019re on duty around the clock to protect the railway and those who rely on it. BTP has a UK text hotline for the public to report anything suspicious on 61016.<\/p>\n

Freight delays<\/h2>\n

The issue, however, is not confined to the UK, nor to the railway industry. In a report last month, the Financial Times of London reported that a global surge in copper theft, particularly affecting the telecoms and railway industries, was prompted by high commodity prices. That was tempting organised crime to target the metal in power and telecoms lines globally.<\/p>\n

\u201cCable theft costs us millions of pounds each year,\u201d said Network Rail in a statement. The total cost to the economy \u2013\u00a0taking into account the impact of freight delays to power stations and supermarkets, and on passengers who miss appointments or have their day ruined \u2013\u00a0is even higher.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The theft of metal is a big problem for the railway. Unfortunately, it is a growing concern. According to sources in the UK, thieves are\u2026<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2539,2347,13555,1554,20923,7199,343,471,47,1553,6512],"tags":[12634],"class_list":["post-515313","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-bradford","category-british-transport-police","category-cable","category-fire","category-hertford","category-holland","category-infrastructure","category-news","category-rail-news","category-theft","category-wakefield","tag-railfreight"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t